Ms Wang, surrogacy agent, tries to persuade our undercover reporter to be a surrogate mother for her Chinese clients

Surrogacy is illegal yet very popular in China. A number of surrogacy agents in China have been recruiting Hong Kong women online to service their clients. They also emphasised that these surrogate mothers from Hong Kong must give birth in a Hong Kong hospital to ensure that the babies are entitled to Hong Kong residency and all the benefits in Hong Kong. Our undercover reporter went to meet a surrogacy agent in Shenzhen. The agent detailed all the criteria for becoming one of their “mothers”, including being young, decent looking, good figure and have given birth naturally before. This agent also claimed that there are a lot of Hong Kong women are working for them.

There are many China surrogacy agents claiming that they can help infertile Chinese couples to find young Hong Kong surrogate mothers. Our undercover reporter spoke to a number of surrogacy agents. Agent Mr Zhang said, “we normally pay US$34,000 (pay in Renminbi) for surrogate mothers in China, but since you are a Hong Konger I can offer you US$65,000. We will pay you in Hong Kong dollar, but its a lot more than what we pay Chinese ones.” He also claimed that Hong Kong women who are young, attractive, with good figure and have given birth naturally before are the most desirable amongst his clients.

The same undercover reporter went to meet with another surrogacy agent Mr Lin in Shenzhen. Lin said that Hong Kong women will be paid at least RMB300,000 (US$50,000), but demand all of the surrogate mothers from Hong Kong to stay in the “surrogate mothers dormitory” in Shenzhen throughout the pregnancy. The agency will pay for all the expenses, but if the surrogate mother has a miscarriage, she can only receive US$3,400.

Another agent Ms Wang in Shenzhen said that if the surrogate mother gives birth in one of the “connected” hospitals, she could put anyone as the father and mother of the child, and she would have no legal responsibility at all. However, this also means that she will only receive US$3,400 as compensation.

Dr. Kun Ka Yan, a Gynecologist, said that the safety of the black market surrogacy technology is doubtful, and that the surrogate mothers could get infected if the procedures were not handled properly. According to Hong Kong’s Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance, paid surrogacy is illegal, repeated offenders are subject to US$15,000 fine and up to two years imprisonment. In China’s Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance, however, all parties involved will be penalised.

Surrogate mothers have to sign an agreement with the agencies, but a legal expert said that such agreement is not legally binding